Method of Playing a Game

ABSTRACT

A method for playing a game of strategy and skill in which players move hunter pieces on a playing surface having an array of playing spaces, with each player designating one playing space as a treasure space. On each turn, a player may move his hunter piece or place a bridge piece on the playing surface for defining movements allowed by the hunter pieces. The players alternate turns until victory is achieved by occupying an opponents treasure space or capturing an opponent&#39;s treasure space hunter piece.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is directed to the field of games of skill, and, moreparticularly, to strategy games in which chance plays only a verylimited role.

2. Description of the Related Art

Human beings love to play games. Games are diversions which have existedfor millennia, dating back to the dawn of recorded time. For example,the game of senet was enjoyed by the pharaohs in predynastic Egypt,dating back to at least 3500 B.C. While many types of games exist,including games of chance (such as dice games) and combined games ofchance and skill (such as card games), one very popular type of game isthe strategy game, where luck has almost no part in the game.

Chess is perhaps the paradigm of a game of skill, where the only partluck plays in the game is in the decision of who plays first.Thereafter, the progress of the game is dictated solely by the skill ofthe players.

Even in this day of electronic games, there is a still a place forchallenging games of skill and strategy. Chess is still played bymillions of people, who can learn and enjoy the game at an early age,while spending a lifetime exploring its limits and subtleties.

However, the marketplace has not seen the development or introduction ofmany new games of skill and strategy recently, with more developmentbeing directed to electronic games or games of chance. There istherefore a need in the marketplace for new and challenging games ofskill and strategy that do not depend on chance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a new game ofstrategy and skill that allows the player to play without relying onchance or happenstance, relying instead on an understanding of the gameand its nuances.

In accordance with this and other objects of the invention, there isprovided a new method for playing games of skill and strategy, in whichplayers may move pieces about a playing surface following predeterminedmovement rules until one of the players meets a victory condition.Specifically, the play involves placing markers on a playing surface onwhich are arrayed established paths for movement of the pieces. Piecesmay be moved along the paths either offensively or defensively, until aclear path is established from one player's home spaces to a specificspace on the opponent's home spaces thereby allowing the first player tocapture the opponent's treasure piece or hunter piece. The movementrules provide for strategic development of the paths both from anoffensive standpoint and a defensive standpoint, so that a player mayboth attempt to gain victory and also frustrate the opponent fromachieving it.

The movement rules permit different types of movement depending upon thelocation of different types of tokens or “bridges” which permit movementbetween the paths on predefined bases, with different bridges callingfor different types of movement.

The rules, while simple, provide for a nearly endless variance andsubtlety that may offer many years of entertaining play, at differinglevels of skill and strategy as a player's understanding of the gamedeepens and matures.

These and other objects and features of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood,however, that the detailed description and drawings are designed solelyfor purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits ofthe invention, for which reference should be made to the appendedclaims. It should be further understood that the drawings are notnecessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, theyare merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures andprocedures described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be apparent from and elucidated withreference to the embodiments described hereinafter. The use of referencedesignators in the drawings or otherwise shall not be construed aslimiting the scope of the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a playing surface in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of a player's hunter piece;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of a player's treasure piece;

FIG. 4 is a perspective of a first type of bridge piece;

FIG. 5 is a perspective of a second type of bridge piece;

FIG. 6 is a perspective of a third type of bridge piece; and

FIGS. 7-23 are schematic views of the inventive playing surface withvarious pieces arrayed thereon to illustrate stages of play and gameaction at those stages of play.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The inventive method is played on a board, or playing surface, showngenerally at 10 in FIG. 1. Playing surface 10 may be made of anysuitable material, such as cardboard or plastic. In a preferredembodiment, playing surface 10 may be foldable for ease of storage andone of ordinary skill in the art will be able to determine a suitablematerial and form therefor depending upon the constraints, whetherfinancial (costs, etc.), mechanical (size of box for packing, etc.) orotherwise, for any particular application.

In a two-player version of the inventive game, as will be describedpresently, playing surface 10 is generally rectangular, and includes anarray of playing spaces 12 arranged in columns, or paths, 14 (extendingtop to bottom in FIG. 1) and rows 16 (extending side to side in FIG. 1).The intersections of columns 14 and rows 16 are referred to as “spots”18. The number of columns 14 and rows 16 are a matter of design choice,but in the preferred embodiment, they are equal in number, forming agenerally square grid, and most preferably columns 14 and rows 16 eachnumber seven. For reference below, columns 14 are numbered as 1-7 androws 16 A-F. Individual spots will be identified by their specific rowand column, e.g., F-3, in the following discussion.

The spots in the last row 16 at each end of playing field 10 arereferred to as “territory spots” 20 and are depicted as white dots. Allother spots 18 are referred to herein simply as “spots” or “playingspots”, and are depicted as black dots on playing surface 10. Each pathis shown as a ribbon encompassing each spot 18 (whether territory orplaying) in a singe column 14. The vertical space between adjacentcolumns 14 is referred to as a “canal” 21. The portions of rows 16 whichlie between adjacent spots 18 (i.e., in canals 21) are referred to as“bridge sites” 22, with those bridge sites which lie between territoryspots referred to as “territory bridge sites” 24. In the preferredembodiment, all bridge sites are illustrated as dotted lines.

At the end of each path 14 lies a “territory island” 26. Territoryislands 26 are not connected by bridge sites.

Each player is allocated a predetermined number of playing pieces: a“hunter piece” 28 (FIG. 2), a “treasure piece” 30 (FIG. 3) and differenttypes of bridge pieces. In the preferred embodiment, players areprovided at least one (most preferably three) round bridge piece 32(FIG. 4), a square bridge piece 34 (FIG. 5) and a triangle bridge piece36 (FIG. 6). The number and distribution of the various bridge pieces32, 34, 36 is a matter of design choice, selected to provide anentertaining and challenging game play, and may depend on factors, suchas the skill and experience of the players (more skilled players mayrequire fewer pieces than less skilled players) and the size and shapeof playing surface 10 (where larger or more intricate arrangements mayrequire more pieces and even more types of pieces). In the preferredembodiment, the distributions are as indicated.

It will also be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art thatthe graphical representations and appearances of each element of thegame, whether a spot, a bridge site or a bridge, is completely a matterof design choice, and forms no part of the invention.

As is usual practice in games, each player's pieces may be of a commoncolor, to distinguish the pieces of one player from those of another.

There are two ways to win the game (“to achieve a victory condition”):by moving one's own hunter piece so that it lands either on anopponent's treasure piece or an opponent's hunter piece.

To begin the game, the players chose which side of playing surface 10 istheir side, and arrange playing surface 10 between them. Each playerplaces his or her hunter piece 28 and treasure piece 30 on one of theirterritory islands 26 (FIG. 7). A preferred rule of the game is that,once placed, the treasure piece may not be moved. One of the players isselected to move first, by any desired means, e.g., by agreement or bychance. The players alternate turns. During the first (preferably) threeturns, the players may be required to place their bridge pieces (of anytype) on unoccupied bridge sites other than territory bridge sites (FIG.8). During this phase of the game, the hunter pieces may not be moved.

As stated, a bridge piece must be placed on an unoccupied bridge site.Additionally, a bridge piece may not be placed on a bridge site if anadjacent bridge site in the same row is occupied by a bridge piece (ofeither player) or if a hunter piece (of either player) is located in oneof the spots adjacent to the bridge site (see, FIG. 9, where “X” denotesa space where a bridge piece may not be placed during that move).

A player is permitted to place his or her own bridge pieces on anopponent's territory bridge site only after moving his or her own hunterpiece (as will be described presently) out of his or her own territoryisland. Players may not place their own bridge pieces on their ownterritory bridge sites (FIG. 10). Once a player has placed a bridge ontoan opponent's territory bridge site, that bridge may not be subsequentlymoved.

After each player has placed three bridge pieces on playing surface 10,the players' options expand, and they may each choose an availableoption, in alternating turns. Preferably, there are three options atthis point: a player may move his or her own hunter piece in accordancewith the movement rules (described below); the player may place anyremaining bridge piece onto playing surface 10; or the player may moveone of the previously placed bridge pieces onto another unoccupiedbridge site, so long as it is not that player's own territory bridgesite or adjacent to any hunter piece (FIG. 11). Once played, players maymove their bridge pieces, as provided, but may not remove them fromplaying surface 10 entirely.

If a player chooses to move his or her own hunter piece, the hunterpiece must be moved towards the opponent and directly down the path onwhich it starts without stopping, unless movement rules (describedbelow) dictate that stopping is required or permitted.

The movement of a hunter piece proceeds in a straight line down a path14 (FIG. 12) unless a spot 18 in that path 14 lies adjacent to a bridgepiece or the hunter piece reaches the opponent's territory island. Ifthe opponent's territory island is unoccupied by that opponent'streasure piece, the moving player's hunter piece is returned to theplayer's own territory island, in the same column as the column in whichit was last moving.

If a player's hunter piece is moved along a column 14, and encounters abridge piece, the moving player has two options: either stop in the spotto which it is moved by the movement rules for the particular type ofbridge piece (FIG. 13), or continue movement along the new path to whichit has been directed by the intervening bridge piece (FIG. 14),following the same rules if a further bridge piece is encountered (FIG.15). If movement of the hunter pieces causes it to land on either anopponent's treasure piece or the opponent's hunter piece, that is avictory condition and the game is over. If the movement causes thehunter piece to reach the opponent's territory island withoutencountering either the opponent's treasure piece or the opponent'shunter piece, then the moving player's hunter piece is returned to themoving player's own territory island in the same column in which it waslast moving, and the moving player's turn is over (FIG. 16).

Each type of bridge piece has its own movement rule, and the rules maybe selected in any manner to provide entertaining and challenging play.In the preferred embodiment, the rules are as follows:

The first type of bridge is the round bridge piece 32. If a hunter piece28 moves into a spot adjacent to a round bridge piece 32 (e.g., spot C-4in FIG. 17), hunter piece 28 moves over round bridge piece 32 to theadjacent column (spot C-3 in FIG. 17).

The second type of bridge piece is the square bridge piece 34. If ahunter piece 28 encounters a square bridge piece 34 (e.g., spot C-4 inFIG. 18), hunter piece 28 must move two columns in the direction of thesquare bridge piece 34 (spot C-2 in FIG. 18), unless square bridge piece34 is only one column away from the boundary of playing surface 10 (FIG.19), in which case hunter piece 28 only moves one column over and so thesquare bridge piece 34 operates as a round bridge piece 32. A hunterpiece 28 arriving at spot C-1 in FIG. 19, however, would move twocolumns over to the left in FIG. 19, i.e. to spot C-3 (not illustratedfor clarity).

The third type of bridge piece is the triangle bridge piece 36. If ahunter piece 28 encounters a triangle bridge piece 36, the movingplayer's hunter piece 28 takes three steps. First, hunter pieces 28crosses over the triangle bridge 36 in the direction dictated by theplacement of the triangle bridge 36 (FIG. 20). Then, hunter piece 28proceeds two spaces further along the path to which it has beenre-directed by triangle bridge piece 36, regardless of whether thatmovement causes hunter piece 28 to pass by other bridge pieces. Oncehunter piece 28 reaches that spot, the moving player has the option,regardless of the presence of any bridge piece, to move hunter piece 28one column in either direction (FIG. 20). If the movement causes hunterpiece 28 to reach the end of playing surface 10, then the moving playerhas no option, and must move hunter piece 28 back to the path from whichit originated (FIG. 21). Under either scenario, the hunter piece stopsafter the third movement.

If a player places a triangle bridge 36 on an opponent's territorybridge site, it acts as a round bridge 32 and hunter piece 28 movesaccordingly (FIG. 22).

If a player places a triangle bridge 36 on a bridge site in a row thatis adjacent to an opponent's territory spots 20 (e.g., Row A in FIG.23), then the moving player may treat the opponent's territory island asa playing spot, and move the hunter piece onto either adjacent territoryisland once the end of the path is reached.

Play continues in this fashion, with alternating turns, until a victorycondition is achieved.

There are many possible variations on the game, where different sizeplaying surfaces may be used, and non-square grids may be used. Forexample, a variant of the game could involve three players, and anon-rectangular array of playing spaces, so that each player may havethe opportunity to attack two opponents while having to defend againsttwo attackers, or the playing surface could be made three dimensional,as in the case of so-called “3-D” chess. The players could alsore-define the movements dictated by the various pieces, so thatdifferent types of game play could be enjoyed, including, perhaps,having a single bridge span more than one bridge site. The game couldeven be programmed into an electronic device, so that solitaire playcould be enjoyed when no human opponent is available, or an opponentcould be played remotely. All such variations are contemplated herein,and one of ordinary skill in the art could easily develop suchvariations without undue experimentation.

Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamentalnovel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodimentthereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutionsand changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and intheir operation, may be made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expresslyintended that all combinations of those elements and/or method stepswhich perform substantially the same function in substantially the sameway to achieve substantially the same results are within the scope ofthe invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/orelements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection withany disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated inany other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as ageneral matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to belimited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

1. A method of playing a game having first and second players, themethod comprising: a) establishing a playing surface having columns androws, said rows being transverse to said columns, said playing surfacedefining: spots at intersections of said rows and columns, and bridgesites between spots in adjacent columns; b) placing a first playerhunter piece on a first spot on said playing surface; c) placing asecond player hunter piece on a second spot on said playing surface; d)placing a first player treasure piece on a third spot on said playingsurface; e) placing a second player treasure piece on a fourth spot onsaid playing surface; f) the first player placing a first player bridgeon a bridge site selected from among unoccupied ones of said bridgesites; g) the second player placing a second player bridge on a bridgesite selected from among unoccupied ones of said bridge sites; h)alternately repeating steps f) and g) a predetermined number of times;i) after step h), the first player performing as a further action oneof: placing a further first player bridge on an unoccupied bridge site,and moving said first player hunter piece; j) after step h), the secondplayer performing as a further action one of: placing a further secondplayer bridge on an unoccupied bridge site, and moving said secondplayer hunter piece; k) alternately performing steps i) and j), until apredetermined victory condition is achieved; wherein hunter pieces maybe moved along a column of spots until encountering a bridge; whereinmovement of a player's hunter piece to a spot adjacent to a bridgediverts said hunter piece to another column in accordance withpredetermined movement rules; and wherein movement of a player's hunterpiece to a predetermined spot without achieving a victory conditioncauses that player's hunter piece to move to another predetermined spot.2. The method of playing a game of claim 1, wherein a player may take,as a further action in one of steps i) and j), moving a previouslyplaced bridge to an unoccupied bridge site
 3. The method of playing agame of claim 1, wherein said playing surface further defines a firstplurality of territory islands at a first end of said columns for thefirst player, and a second plurality of territory islands at a secondend of said columns for the second player; and wherein said third spotis one of said first plurality of territory islands, and said fourthspot is one of said second plurality of territory islands.
 4. The methodof playing a game of claim 1, wherein said playing surface furtherdefines a first plurality of territory islands at a first end of saidcolumns for the first player, and a second plurality of territoryislands at a second end of said columns for the second player; andwherein said predetermined spot is one of an opponent's territoryislands;
 5. The method of playing a game of claim 1, wherein saidplaying surface further defines a first plurality of territory islandsat a first end of said columns for the first player, and a secondplurality of territory islands at a second end of said columns for thesecond player; and wherein said another predetermined spot is one ofsaid territory islands of the player whose hunter piece failed toachieve a victory condition.
 6. The method of playing a game of claim 1,wherein in step h) said predetermined number is three.
 7. The method ofplaying a game of claim 1, wherein movement of a player's hunter pieceto said another column permits that player to choose between stopping atthe spot to which said player's hunter piece had been diverted orproceeding along said another column.
 8. The method of playing a game ofclaim 1, wherein a bridge may not be placed on a bridge site that isadjacent to, and in the same row as, an occupied bridge site.
 9. Themethod of playing a game of claim 1, wherein a bridge may not be placedon a bridge site that is adjacent to, and in the same row as, a spotoccupied by any hunter piece.
 10. The method of playing a game of claim1, wherein said bridges are selected from first and second types ofbridges; and wherein each type of bridge defines a different movementrule.
 11. The method of playing a game of claim 10, wherein said type ofbridge is represented by the shape of said bridge.
 12. The method ofplaying a game of claim 10, wherein the number of said first type ofbridges is different than the number of said second type of bridges. 13.The method of playing a game of claim 10, wherein a first of saidmovement rules is that movement caused by said bridge is movement oversaid bridge to the spot in the adjacent column.
 14. The method ofplaying a game of claim 13, wherein movement caused by said first typeof bridge follows said first movement rule; and wherein a second of saidmovement rules is that the movement of said hunter piece caused by saidsecond type of bridge is movement over said second type of bridge to thespot lying in the same row that is two columns over from the spotreached by said hunter piece before applying said second movement rule,provided that if said second type of bridge does not lie at least twocolumns from the boundary of said playing surface then said hunter pieceis moved to the spot that lies in the same row and is one column overfrom the spot reached by said hunter piece before applying said secondmovement rule.
 15. The method of playing a game of claim 14, whereinthere is a third type of bridge; and wherein a third of said movementrules is that the movement of said hunter piece caused by said thirdtype of bridge is to move (i) over said third type of bridge to anadjacent column, then (ii) two spots in that column irrespective of thepresence of any other bridge, and then (iii) to a spot in the same rowin an adjacent column irrespective of the presence of any other bridge.16. The method of playing a game of claim 1, wherein a first of saidmovement rules is that the movement of said hunter piece caused by saidsecond type of bridge is movement over said second type of bridge to thespot lying in the same row that is two columns over from the spotreached by said hunter piece before applying said second movement rule,provided that if said second type of bridge does not lie at least twocolumns from the boundary of said playing surface then said hunter pieceis moved to the spot that lies in the same row and is one column overfrom the spot reached by said hunter piece before applying said secondmovement rule.
 17. The method of playing a game of claim 16, whereinthere is a second type of bridge; and wherein a second of said movementrules is that the movement of said hunter piece caused by said secondtype of bridge is to move (i) over said second type of bridge to anadjacent column, then (ii) two spots in that column irrespective of thepresence of any other bridge, and then (iii) to a spot in the same rowin an adjacent column irrespective of the presence of any other bridge.18. The method of playing a game of claim 1, wherein said victoryconditions include having a hunter piece land on either an opponent'shunter piece or an opponent's treasure piece.
 19. The method of playinga game of claim 1, wherein said first spot is one of said firstplurality of territory islands and said second spot is one of saidsecond plurality of territory islands.
 20. The method of playing a gameof claim 1, wherein the first player, in performing step i), may notmove one of the second player's bridges, and the second player, inperforming step j), may not move one of the first player's bridges.